Modular toy salon

ABSTRACT

A modular kit is disclosed herein. The modular kit includes an enclosure, at least one decal and at least one salon accessory. The at least one decal represents items usually found in a real-salon such as mirrors, cash-registers, etc. The at least one salon accessory includes accessories found in real-salons such as chairs, and hair products. In one embodiment the modular kit is modular and includes a plurality of configurations based on a users&#39; individual need. The modular kit is useful for simulating a salon experience, providing entertainment and for conditioning children to prevent anxiety experienced in real-life salons.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/510,839 filed May 25, 2017, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of children's toys and more specifically relates to a modular toy salon for simulating a salon experience for children.

2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Young children may get extremely anxious and scared when going to a salon or barber shop. A child's first haircut can be a difficult and frustrating experience for both child and parent. Some children may end up crying and being scared of getting their haircut for an extended period of time. Further, children get bored easily and need numerous toys for entertainment and stimulation. Thus, a suitable solution is desired.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,149,734 to Bryan Edwards relates to a toy barber shop assembly. The described toy barber shop assembly includes a playhouse having a top wall, a bottom wall and a perimeter wall coupled to and extending between the top wall and the bottom wall. Each of the top wall, the bottom wall and the perimeter wall define an interior of the playhouse. A chair and at least one hairstyling implement are provided and are sized for positioning within the interior of the playhouse.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known children's toys art, the present disclosure provides a novel modular toy salon. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a modular toy salon for simulating a salon experience, providing entertainment and for conditioning children to reduce anxiety when visiting a hairdresser salon or barber shop salon.

A modular kit is disclosed herein. The modular kit includes an enclosure which may include at least one wall may have an external-surface and an internal-surface opposite the external-surface; at least one decal for removable attachment to one of the internal-surface and the external-surface of the at least one wall; and at least one salon accessory for removable placement within the enclosure.

A method of using modular kit is also disclosed herein. The method of using modular kit may comprise the steps of: providing the modular kit as above; assembling the enclosure; attaching the at least one decal to one of the internal-surface and the external-surface of the at least one wall; placing the at least one salon accessory within the enclosure; and using the modular kit to simulate the salon experience.

For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a modular toy salon, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1A is a side-front perspective view of the modular kit during an ‘in-use’ condition, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 1B is a side-front perspective view of the modular kit during an ‘in-use’ condition, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2A is a side-front perspective view of the modular kit of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2B is a side-front perspective view of the modular kit of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a side-front perspective view of the modular kit of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a side-front perspective view of the modular kit of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of use for modular kit, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to children's toys and more particularly to a modular toy salon as used to improve the modular toy salon for simulating a salon experience for children.

Generally, disclosed is a modular toy salon which may provide children with a uniquely-designed playhouse constructed as a salon or barber shop. The playhouse may include ample room for toddlers and young children to play and accommodate themselves to various features within a salon or barber shop. The modular toy salon may utilize a set of stickers and plastic items to represent products commonly found in salons and barber shops such as mirrors, cash registers, scissors, styling chairs, and much more. This may allow parents to introduce young children to different aspects of a haircut, eliminating the worry of a child becoming scared or anxious while going to a real barber shop or salon. This may offer a comfortable, enjoyable, and educational environment capable of providing hours of fun and entertainment for young children.

As mentioned above, the modular toy salon may be a large indoor and outdoor playhouse for children, representing a salon or barber shop. The playhouse may include a roof, windows, and interior spaces to receive stickers. The stickers may represent different items and products found in a salon or barbershop. The playhouse may allow children to exercise and entertain themselves while simultaneously introducing the child to different aspects of getting a haircut. The playhouse may be intended to reduce anxiety for children visiting a salon or barber shop. Plastic chairs and cases with faux hair care products may be available as additional accessories for each playhouse. The playhouses may be easily assembled and may easily fit a child inside with plenty of space to play and move around. Children may discover hours of fun activities within the playhouses and parents may ensure each child is familiarized with various aspects of a salon and/or barber shop.

The modular toy salon may be constructed using plastic and other suitable materials. The playhouses may be available in various sizes in order to accommodate all user needs and preferences. Exact size, measurement, construction, and design specifications may vary upon manufacturing.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in FIGS. 1A-5, various views of a modular kit 100.

FIGS. 1A-1B show a modular kit 100 during an ‘in-use’ condition 150, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the modular kit 100 may include an enclosure 110, at least one decal 120 and at least one salon accessory 130. The modular kit 100 may be used for simulating a salon experience 5. As shown, in one embodiment, the salon experience 5 may be a hairdresser salon. In another embodiment, the salon experience may be a barbershop salon.

FIGS. 2A-2B show side-front perspective views of the modular kit 100 of FIG. 1, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The enclosure 110 may include at least one wall 112 having an external-surface 114 and an internal-surface 116 opposite the external-surface 114. In a preferred embodiment, the enclosure 110 may include four walls and a roof 119. Each of the four walls may include the external-surface 114 and the internal-surface 116. Further, at least one of the four walls further may include a door 117. In addition to this, at least one of the four walls may further include at least one window 118. The modular kit 100 may be modular and entirely customizable. For example, the number of walls and whether there is a door, window or roof may be chosen by the user.

The enclosure 110 may be modular such that the enclosure 110 may be constructed in a variety of different configurations using modular parts. For example, the enclosure 110 may be made up of modular walls constructed together to form the enclosure 110. As above, the enclosure may include the at least one wall 112 but it should be contemplated that the enclosure 110 can be constructed of as many walls 112 as desired by the user. Further, the enclosure 110 may be constructed of as many windows 118 and doors 117 as the user desires. In addition to this, the roof 119 may be optional or constructed from a plurality of parts, whereby the roof may be partially openable, fully openable, include a window 118 therein, etc.

As shown in FIG. 2A, in one embodiment, the enclosure 110 may be a playhouse. In this embodiment, the playhouse may be made up of easily assembled panels (forming the four walls and the roof 119 in the preferred embodiment). As shown, the panels may include female and male mating slots to aid in the ease of assembly. Further to this, the enclosure 110 may be collapsible. In this playhouse embodiment, the enclosure 110 may be made from a plastic-material. However, other materials are contemplated.

As shown in FIG. 2B, in another embodiment, the enclosure 110 may be a pop-up tent. In this embodiment, the enclosure 110 may be provided with the four walls and roof 119 already assembled (in the preferred embodiment) and easily collapsible. Further, in this embodiment, the enclosure 110 may be made from a fabric-material such as polyester, cotton, nylon, etc. In another embodiment, the enclosure 110 may be made from a lightweight plastic-material.

FIG. 3 shows a side-front perspective view of the modular kit 100 of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The at least one decal 120 may be configured for removable attachment to one of the internal-surface 116 and the external-surface 114 (FIG. 1) of the at least one wall 112. The at least one wall 112 may include decal-receiving sections to aid in receival of the at least one decal 120.

In the preferred embodiment, the at least one decal 120 may be a sticker configured to adhesively attach to the internal-surface 116 of the at least one wall 112. The sticker may include no residue adhesive such that a user is able to remove the at least one decal 120 and apply to another area of the at least one wall 112. Further, the adhesive may be of a type that does not lose its adhesive properties after being removed from the at least one wall 112. The at least one decal 120 may be made from a vinyl material, a paper material, a plastic material, or the like.

The at least one decal 120 may be representative of what is usually seen in conventional salons. For example, as shown, the at least one decal 120 may comprise at least one mirror 122. Further, the at least one decal 120 may comprise at least one cash-register 124. Other examples may include shampoo bowls, sinks, shower heads, etc. In some embodiments, the at least one window 118, the door 117 (FIG. 2), etc. may be decals 120.

Further, the at least one decal 120 may be used to provide an aesthetic appearance to the enclosure 110. For example, the at least one decal 120 may include posters and pictures, television screens, flowers, etc. Further, the at least one decal 120 used may be differ between the hairdresser salon embodiment and the barbershop salon embodiment. Further, as above, the modular kit 100 may be customizable and include modular parts. For example, the user may choose the decals 120 they wish to apply to the enclosure 110 of their choice. The at least one decal 120 may also be easily replaced so that the user may choose different decals 120 at different times. The at least one decal 120 may be packaged separately to the enclosure 110 and in after-market kits for this purpose.

FIG. 4 shows a side-front perspective view of the modular kit 100 of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The at least one salon accessory 130 may be configured for removable placement within the enclosure 110. The at least one salon accessory 130 may include fasteners or adhesives for attaching the at least one accessory to the at least one wall 112, the roof 119 (FIG. 2), or a floor of the enclosure 110. In another embodiment, the at least one accessory may not be fastened to the enclosure 110.

The at least one salon accessory 130 may comprise at least one chair 132. The at least one chair 132 may be hair cutting chairs, pedicure chairs, etc. Further, the at least one accessory may comprise at least one faux hair product 134. Examples may include flat irons/hair straighteners, curling tongs, hairdryers, scissors, mixing bowls, brushes, razors, etc. Other accessories envisioned may include hair washing stations, salon stations including desks, manicure stations, etc. The salon station may be placed in front of the mirror decal. Further, as above, the at least one accessory used may differ between the hairdresser salon embodiment and barbershop salon embodiment. For example, the hairdresser salon may include the flat iron/hair straighteners, curling tongs, etc. and the barbershop salon may include the razors.

As above, the user may also choose which salon accessories 130 they want for placement in the chosen enclosure 110 and may be made of the plurality of modular parts. The at least one salon accessory 130 may also be easily replaced so that the user may choose different salon accessories 130 at different times. Similar to above, the at least one salon accessory may be packaged and sold separately after purchase of the enclosure 110 to allow for additions and replacements of the accessories 130 within the enclosure.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of using a modular kit for simulating a salon experience 500, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the method of using a modular kit for simulating a salon experience 500 may include the steps of: step one 501, providing the modular kit 100 as above; step 502, assembling the enclosure 110; step three 503, attaching the at least one decal 120 to one of the internal-surface 116 and the external-surface 114 of the at least one wall 112; step four 504, placing the at least one salon accessory 130 within the enclosure 110; and step five 505, using the modular kit 100 to simulate the salon experience 5. Further steps may include: step six 506, removing the at least one salon accessory 130 from the enclosure 110; and step seven 507, collapsing the enclosure 110 when not in use.

It should be noted that step six 506 and step seven 507 are optional steps and may not be implemented in all cases. Optional steps of method of use 500 are illustrated using dotted lines in FIG. 5 so as to distinguish them from the other steps of method of use 500. It should also be noted that the steps described in the method of use can be carried out in many different orders according to user preference. The use of “step of” should not be interpreted as “step for”, in the claims herein and is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f). It should also be noted that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods for modular kit 100 (e.g., different step orders within above-mentioned list, elimination or addition of certain steps, including or excluding certain maintenance steps, etc.), are taught herein.

The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. 

What is claimed is new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:
 1. A modular kit for simulating a salon experience, the modular kit comprising: an enclosure including at least one wall, the at least one wall having an external-surface and an internal-surface opposite the external-surface; at least one decal for removable attachment to one of the internal-surface and the external-surface of the at least one wall; and at least one salon accessory for removable placement within the enclosure.
 2. The modular kit of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is collapsible.
 3. The modular kit of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is a playhouse.
 4. The modular kit of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is a pop-up tent.
 5. The modular kit of claim 1, wherein the enclosure includes four walls, and each of the four walls include the external-surface and the internal-surface.
 6. The modular kit of claim 5, wherein at least one of the four walls further includes a door.
 7. The modular kit of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the four walls further includes at least one window.
 8. The modular kit of claim 7, wherein the enclosure further includes a roof.
 9. The modular kit of claim 1, wherein the at least one decal is a sticker configured to adhesively attach to the internal-surface of the at least one wall.
 10. The modular kit of claim 9, wherein the at least one decal comprises at least one mirror.
 11. The modular kit of claim 10, wherein the at least one decal further comprises at least one cash-register.
 12. The modular kit of claim 1, wherein the at least one salon accessory comprises at least one chair.
 13. The modular kit of claim 12, wherein the at least one salon accessory further comprises at least one faux hair product.
 14. The modular kit of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is made from a plastic-material.
 15. The modular kit of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is made from a fabric-material.
 16. The modular kit of claim 1, wherein the salon experience is a hairdresser salon.
 17. The modular kit of claim 1, wherein the salon experience is a barbershop salon.
 18. A modular kit for simulating a salon experience, the modular kit comprising: an enclosure including at least one wall, the at least one wall having an external-surface and an internal-surface opposite the external-surface; at least one decal for removable attachment to one of the internal-surface and the external-surface of the at least one wall; and at least one salon accessory for removable placement within the enclosure; and wherein the enclosure is collapsible; wherein the enclosure is a playhouse; wherein the enclosure includes four walls, and each of the four walls include the external-surface and the internal-surface; wherein at least one of the four walls includes a door; wherein the at least one of the four walls further includes at least one window; wherein the enclosure further includes a roof; wherein the at least one decal is a sticker configured to adhesively attach to the internal-surface of the at least one wall; wherein the at least one decal comprises at least one mirror; wherein the at least one decal further comprises at least one cash-register; wherein the at least one salon accessory comprises at least one chair; and wherein the at least one salon accessory further comprises at least one faux hair product.
 19. A method of using a modular kit for simulating a salon experience, the method comprising the steps of: providing the modular kit for simulating the salon experience, the modular kit including: an enclosure including at least one wall, the at least one wall having an external-surface and an internal-surface opposite the external-surface; at least one decal for removable attachment to one of the internal-surface and the external-surface of the at least one wall; and at least one salon accessory for removable placement within the enclosure; assembling the enclosure; attaching the at least one decal to one of the internal-surface and the external-surface of the at least one wall; placing the at least one salon accessory within the enclosure; and using the modular kit to simulate the salon experience.
 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of: removing the at least one salon accessory from the enclosure; and collapsing the enclosure when not in use. 